Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-02-27

pm ncau BCr cyc.hailS were InSenl-
bic to touch; Just before death the pu-
pills dilated heart beating very feebly
and the pulse about forty TO the minute +;
It was impossible to arouse her her
breathing was stcntorious and could be
heard over the room f; I attributed these
symptoms to opium poisoning. Dr.
Gardner told me that at the first In
lection he gave one quarter of grain
Of morphine and at the second not
quite one quarter.
These symptoms might be attributed
to some kind of brain disease, but the
fact Of knowing that morphie had been
administered caused me TO believe it o
case Of opium-poisoning.
st the time | saw DIR. Gardner he
WIS intoxicated, and very decidedly 80.
: sent him TO Forstinann's drug store for
aTomorphia. He was willing to do all
be could, and went, but / did not see
him again till about 1870 A. w.. when
Mrs. 10th was dead. heard from his
wife that he was at home, but that he
had heard from the children that he
was accused of killing Mrs. 10th,
and Was unwilling to come over.
] insisted upon her bringing him over,
but he would not come. | don't think
even if he had speedily returned with
the medicine itwould have changed the
result Of the case. ] used mustard
plGsters, frictions, slappinGs, and the
usual mechanical manipulations for
arousing also, galvanism and artificial
respiration; also, apomOrphia, one
dose of $40 OF a grain, and atrophia,
one dose Of 1870 os grain She was
unable TO swallow, and the medicines
were given hypodermically.
When ! first came / found Dr. Gard
nor in semi-recumbent position on the
bed and near the patient, apparently
feeling her pulse.
said, "She is dying" and DR..
Gardner said, eyes, yes | think she
is dying"
When / SOW him again, after Mrs.
lJoths death, he said TO me. "What do
You think was the immediate cause Of
her death -
said, "Ordum-poison."
He said, 81 think so, too for / no
ticcd the pupils of her eyes contracted
when j first came.
Assuming that the facts of the adj
ministration of the medicine are cor
rect, as stated by DIR. Gardner and the
witnesses, | think it was Legitimate
practice, except that think the inter
val between the doses was not sufficient
| ~ long.
! never knew case Of death OF an
adult from one half grain Of morphia,
but | think it possible. II is consider
cd that mOrphia administered hypO-
dermically is much more active than
when given other ways. have seen
many deaths from opium and morphine
poisoning.
ALMsEOUsE PHYSICIAN.
Tr. William i. Smith followed next
lie stated: / assisted DR.. Trevillian
in part of the treatment of Mrs. 10th.
| was present at the meeting OF Drs.
Trevillian and Gardner after the death
of Mrs. 10th, about 1870 A. NJ. l
heard Dr. Gardner ask DR.. Trevillian
what was the immediate cause of her
death.
Dr. Treyillian said: "Opium-poison-
ing"
Dr. Gardner said: eyes, | think so
too, for noticed the pupils were con
tIacted when first saw her"
Dr. Gardner also said he had admin
istered one quarter grain of morphine
at the first dose hypodermically and not
quite a quarter grain the second dose.
DIR. GARDENERS EVIDENCE.
Dr. Charles i. Gardner in his testi-
mony said: | hive at BOP west Main.
! have ceased practicing medicine for
about four months. | treated Mrs 10th
| simply as friend, and | have treated
her several times in company with DIR.
Trevillian. Either last July or August
/ treated Mrs. 10th, and then gave her
one third of grain Of morphine hypo-
dermically, and upon the arrival of DR..
1revillian within an hour or so he gave
/ her another dose of one quarter of
grain. She told me that she took it
frequently, and could take half of
grain. Since then | have seen her in
two or three similar attacks exclusive
Of the last one, and each time, at her
own request, gave her morphine, though
I never exceeded one quarter of a grain.
] considered it absolutely necessary.
About ten days ago she came over to
my house, and, saying she was in pain,
requested me TO give her a hypOder-
mic dose of morphine, which did in
the presence OF my wife.
Last Wednesday evening, nearer 8
than 3 o'clock, | was sent for to see
Mrs. 10th, and found her suffering
great pain. She was in a very hysteri
cal condition. She spoke in contra
dictory way, saying: "Give me NOR
phine. Oh, don't give it to me !
perceived the odor Of spirits, and on
asking her she said she had taken a
toaspoonfull, rs / understood Accord
ING to my recollection, one of the chill
drcn said Mamma, You have taken
twenty CENTS worth" and Miss Fisher
said. "Yes, she had drank item
cents worth Mt time, though possibly
tins last remark might have been made
by one of the children.
THE DiSD0tchs information Is that
what little spirits had been taken by
Mrs. 10th was administered as medl-
cine.]
/ have been in the habit of carrying
quarter grain papers of morphia in my
hypodermic case. Sometimes | weigh
these myself, at others "A druggist
weighed them They are always
weighed. On this occasion, not know
ing whether l had any papers OF NOR
phia. took with me dram bottle
about a quarter full OF morphine. |
took out of my pocket both case and
Lottle and set the bottle on the win
dow-sill, and on looking in the case found
/ had three or four papers. think
the bottle seen by the little girl on the
bureau was my mixing bottle. l put
one Of the empty papers in my vest
pocket. and think l threw the
others on the floor. | am abso-
lutely certain l did not take any
morphine out OF the morphine bottle
1 am not sure whether weighed these
powders or whether they were weighed